Lord Miles Brings Credentials Into West Virginia Derby

After being scratched from the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1) and finishing a distant fourth in the June 24 Ohio Derby (G3), Vegso Racing Stable’s Lord Miles  will try to regroup in the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.

A nose winner over Hit Show  in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) April 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack a start before the Ohio Derby, Lord Miles faces a full field in Sunday’s overdrawn 1 1/8-mile race. The competition includes Tapit’s Conquest , Red Route One , One in Vermillion , and Raise Cain .

None of his rivals have won a grade 2 stakes as Lord Miles has. He did so at odds of 59-1 in the 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial, earning sufficient qualifying points to earn a Kentucky Derby start.

The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee never got a chance to race in the Run for the Roses, however, having been scratched by Kentucky stewards after two of Joseph’s runners collapsed and died shortly after racing at Churchill Downs in two of the meet’s initial race dates. Shortly afterward, Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Joseph from racing at its tracks and an investigation from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ensued. Joseph was cleared of any violations upon the completion of the investigation and was reinstated by CDI.

This summer Lord Miles has been breezing at Joseph’s principal base in South Florida at Gulfstream Park, where the homebred son of Curlin   sped five furlongs in a bullet :58.63 July 29, earning the bullet for works at that distance. Arnaldo Bocachica will ride the 3-year-old colt, who is 2-0-1 from six starts with earnings of $476,100.

Lord Miles is one of two West Virginia Derby entries for Joseph, the other being Gentry Farms’ West Coast Cowboy , fifth July 8 in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.

With the exception of Raise Cain, all of the entrants in the West Virginia Derby compete with raceday treatment of the diuretic Lasix. Many raced without the respiratory bleeding preventative in recent stakes outings in other states. West Virginia is one of a small number of states not operating under rules from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, owing to an injunction in an ongoing court battle over HISA’s legality.

Though he has not yet won a stakes race, stakes-placed Tapit’s Conquest  is major player in the West Virginia Derby, having won an allowance race in fast time June 30 at Ellis Park for trainer Brad Cox. He raced 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.51, less than three-fifths of a second off West Will Power ‘s time in winning the July 1 Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Ellis Park in 1:47.93.

The Tapit   colt, owned by Bob LaPenta, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, and Madaket Stables, may start as the public choice under Florent Geroux.

Likely to appreciate a class drop is Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Red Route One, eighth in the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1) after a fourth-place finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1). The late-running Gun Runner   colt won the Bath House Row Stakes at Oaklawn Park in April for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Early runner One in Vermillion and late-running Raise Cain come off runner-up finishes in stakes action last month, with the former demoted from first to second for interference in the Iowa Derby and the latter finishing a hard-charging second when beaten a nose by Verifying  in the Indiana Derby (G3).

Some West Virginia Derby entrants appear grossly outclassed, most notably Looka Looka  and Fartlek , both of whom were off the board last out in $4,000 claiming starts. The race requires $2,700 in combined entry and starter fees but pays out at least $3,500—the amount going to horses that finish sixth-12th.